Five Tips For Looking After Fish In A Home Aquarium

By Author: Jan Clark
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A fish aquarium in your home can add beauty as well as fun to your living area. However, there are a few simple tips you need to keep in mind if you're going to be successful at this intriguing endeavor.

1. Choose an appropriate aquarium for your home.

Don't purchase a fish aquarium that is extremely deep unless you're prepared to do a lot of extra work. If you own a large 5-gallon aquarium and one or more of your fish dies, the water may become polluted before you even notice that one of your fish is dead.

In a large aquarium it's difficult to get the plants you may wish to introduce to grow properly since the light has to go all the way down to the bottom. If you want an extra large aquarium, you will need to purchase lights capable of illuminating the large aquarium's bottom.

2. It's best if you purchase all needed aquarium supplies before you set it up.

Here are some supplies you're going to need:

* aquarium
* aquarium cover
* heater
* replacement filter
* gravel
* 5 gallon bucket
* strainer
* glass scrubber
* fish food ...
...
* aquarium filter
* replacement filter media
* chemical test kits
* plants -- natural or artificial
* decorations
* fish net
* aquarium vacuum

3. It's essential that you keep a close watch over your aquarium.

Be sure to check the water in your aquarium for fungus infections, parasites and bacteria. There are parasites that can enter your aquarium through infected fish. Before you notice anything wrong, your entire aquarium could be totally infested. Therefore, be sure to keep close watch to see if any of your fish develops signs of being infected and put them in a separate tank away from your healthy fish.

Before adding new fish to your aquarium, you should plan to keep them in a separate tank before introducing them to your other fish. You only need an inexpensive plastic tank with no gravel or plants to keep your new fish for a while to make sure they're healthy. Then add fish gradually so you don't get so many fish in your aquarium that ammonia problems arise, which can result in some or all of your fish dying.

4. Take care of your fish by choosing them wisely.

Not every fish is compatible with every other fish; so don't purchase fish that won't get along well together just because they're attractive. You'll be sorry if you do.

Educate yourself about fish at your local pet store before you make your purchases. You will want to learn about what your new fish is like and what its habits are so you'll know how to take care of it. You'll also learn if it is compatible with your other fish.

5. Be sure that you don't give your fish too much to eat.

One of the most common causes of fish dying prematurely in aquariums is overfeeding them.

Now that you've read 5 simple tips to help you successfully raise fish in your home, be sure to put these tips into practice. Then have fun as these marvelous creatures entertain you.